Washington Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan looks on during the second half of an NFL football game against the New York Giants Sunday, Oct. 21, 2012 in East Rutherford, N.J. / Julio Cortez, AP

by Kevin Manahan, USA TODAY Sports

by Kevin Manahan, USA TODAY Sports

We laud Robert Griffin III's guts. Watching him try to stick it out Sunday after a vicious hit whipped his leg and injured his knee, we were reminded of Tiger Woods winning the U.S. Open on a broken leg.

RGIII's effort will go down in Washington Redskins lore, but coach Mike Shanahan should not be treated so well by history.

When his franchise quarterback â?? and the franchise's future â?? hobbled to the sideline for one play, then demanded to go back in, Shanahan should have taken the kid's helmet. Instead, he sent Griffin back into the game, where he could have done more damage to his knee.

How badly is Griffin hurt? The Redskins say it's just a knee strain. If so, they're lucky.

Severely limited in his mobility against the Ravens, Griffin was an easy target for another devastating hit by the desperate Baltimore Ravens, who saw the game slipping away.

And that's why Shanahan is the Knucklehead of the Week.

If the old-school coach is going to use a new-school quarterback, he'd better learn how to protect him. It means yanking him when he's badly hurt. It means the organization can't shade the truth on concussion reports to the media. It means teaching the kid how to avoid big hits. It means ripping that "QB throwback pass" play â?? which left Griffin open to a wallop against the Steelers -- out of the playbook.

Otherwise, RGIII's career expectancy will pinball from big hit to big hit, and Redskins fans will live the next 10 years (or less) holding their breath.

Shanahan said he had the "worst seat in the house" to see Griffin's injury, but that's no excuse for not getting his star player out of the game sooner â?? or for putting him back in.

With the Redskins trailing 28-20, Griffin left the game for one play in the fourth quarter, then returned. He lasted four more plays as he hobbled around the field. Finally, after an incompletion that resulted in a penalty for intentional grounding, Griffin fell to the turf, unable to continue.

Backup QB Kirk Cousins threw a touchdown pass with 29 seconds remaining, then converted the two-point conversion on a QB draw to tie the game, which the Redskins won in OT on a 34-yard field goal.

"You have to do what's right for the team," Griffin said. "If I played the rest of that game, I probably would've hurt myself even more. So you have to trust those guys, and trust yourself when you know enough is enough."

The question is: Does Shanahan know when enough is enough?

Our other awards for Week 14:

GAME BALLS

Adrian Peterson: Look out Eric Dickerson, AP is gaining on you. After his 154 yards sparked Minnesota's 21-14 win over the Chicago Bears, Peterson stands at 1,600 yards (10 touchdowns) on the season. He's a sure bet to become the 7th running back to crack the 2,000-yard milestone with an eye on eclipsing Dickerson's 1984 single-season record of 2,105 yards one year after Peterson's ACL surgery.

Norv Turner: It's a going away present, but linebacker Takeo Spikes said Chargers players appreciated the way their coach has taken the flak all season for an underperforming Chargers team that finally played up to its talent level. Turner's a good guy, but his stint in San Diego has proven he's best suited as an offensive coordinator.

Nick Foles: He's supposed to be the future and finally he gave frustrated Eagles fans a real taste, throwing for two touchdowns in the final four minutes to overcome six sacks in a 23-21 win over Tampa Bay. The victory snapped an eight-game Eagles losing skid.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

It's been a rough sophomore slump for Cam Newton, the 2011 Rookie of the Year. But Newton put together a performance worthy of his "Superman'' touchdown celebration, throwing for 287 yards and two touchdowns. He added a dazzling, 72-yard, read-option touchdown run in Carolina's 30-20 demolition of Atlanta.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

San Francisco 49ers linebacker Aldon Smith had two more sacks Sunday against Miami raising his total to 19 1/2 on the season. The 49ers second-year pass rusher needs 3 1/2 sacks to eclipse Michael Strahan's 2001 record.

SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK

New York Giants rookie David Wilson has come a long way since that season-opening, tear-jerking, post-fumble benching by coach Tom Coughlin. Wilson had 327 all-purpose yards, including 227 and a 97-yard touchdown on kickoff returns and another 100 yards with two rushing scores in New York's 52-27 stomping of New Orleans.

UNSUNG HERO

Robert Griffin III still gets all the headlines -- this time for the sprained knee that knocked him out of Sunday's game. But the Washington Redskins are still alive in the NFC playoff mix thanks to rookie backup quarterback Kirk Cousin's 11-yard touchdown pass to Pierre Garcon and his gutsy quarterback draw for a 2-point conversion that forced overtime. The 7-6 Redskins won 31-28. Of course, the best news is that RGIII's knee injury isn't considered serious. At least Cousins showed he could get the job done, if needed another week.

MAJOR DISAPPOINTMENT

The Pittsburgh Steelers missed cornerback Ike Taylor, who suffered a fractured ankle last week against Baltimore, more than they thought. Pittsburgh blew an ideal opportunity to gain ground in the AFC North with everybody but the Cleveland Browns losing. Tomlin's team was kicking itself afterward for failing to match the intensity of a disappointing Chargers team expected to dismiss general manager A.J. Smith and coach Norv Turner after this season.

MAJOR FUNK

How bad was Sunday's 58-0 Seattle blowout of the woebegone Arizona Cardinals? Asked who would start at quarterback for him Sunday, Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt said, "Can you play?'' The Seahawks forced eight Arizona turnovers. "Let me start off by saying I apologize to our fans and everybody associated with our organization,'' Whisenhunt said. "This was embarrassing.''

THEY MUST STEP UP THIS WEEK

Ray Lewis: The 9-4 Ravens have lost two straight on the doorstep of clinching the AFC North. Sunday against Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos, Lewis is expected to return from his triceps injury suffered Oct. 14. Sunday's overtime loss to the Redskins marked the first time in nine years the Ravens played without defensive studs Lewis and Terrell Suggs (torn biceps).

Jay Cutler: With a whiplash-like neck injury that made it difficult to turn his head during his post-game news conference, the 8-5 Chicago Bears quarterback needs a quick recovery Sunday against division-leading Green Bay. The Packers lead the NFC North a game. The reeling Bears have lost 4 of their last 5 after a 7-1 start.

Andrew Luck: The Colts were more lucky than good in edging the Tennessee Titans, 27-23. But Luck will need to be on his game against the division-leading Houston Texans after overcoming two interceptions against Tennessee.